Wingatui veteran planning another Australian trip

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 53

Wingatui veteran planning another Australian trip

By

J. J. BOYLE

The veteran Wingatui trainer Arthur Diciham went to Melbourne 40 years ago to ride First In in the Melbourne Cup. That was an unrewarding exercise — the Otago mare finished seventh — but the long-experienced Otago horseman has fared better at times on “umpteen” trips across the Tasman with members of his team in the meantime. This time around Arthur Didham has an Australian spring campaign in the sights for II Commandante, and plans will be advanced if this season’s Southland Guineas winner performs satisfactorily fresh up at the Grand National meeting.

If a gallop planned for Il Commandante on the No. 1 grass at Riccarton was looked to for a guide, the father-and-son training combination of Arthur and Les Didham would have been disappointed.

Il Commandante was to have .sprinted from the 800 m in company with a horse scheduled to start near the 1200 m.

But the pair linked up prematurely and Les Didham eased 11 Commandante down in the home straight rather than allow the promising rising four-year-old to cover more than the 800 m at speed. Owned in Sydney by Mr Albert Meo, who also raced Noble Boa with much success from the Didham stable, Il Commandante is booked on a flight to Australia almost immediately after the Grand National meeting. One of his travelling companions will be the Riccarton-trained Reingard, whose big spring mission in Sydney will be The Metropolitan. Reingard, an unlucky fifth in last year’s Metropolitan and, later, winner of the Canberra Cup, ran 1400 m in 1:34.6 on the No. 1 grass yesterday. Reingard quickened for the last 800 in 49.8, and for the final 600 m in 36.6. Noble Note led Black

Arrow and Gold Town by a length and a half after running 800 m in 49.6.

Noble Note failed on a sticky track in the Brabazon. He was showing signs of a back “niggle” after the race, and has been receiving treatment. The Otago pair, Nearco Fair and Notre Dame, finished their 800 m on terms in 50. Nearco Fair looks sharper for his race in the Brabazon.

Purple Tone, Godunov, and Tuahiwi Daisy got through their 800 m in 48.8, and finished on terms.

Young Nick and Gold Surrey returned 51.5, and Donizetti 49.2.

The North Island galloper Governess was under a good hold while running 600 m in 38.2. Pokare recorded 36.7.

Rakau Gold and Quiet Riot finished their 800 m in 48.7. Quiet Riot is now in the Harris team at Tuahiwi, after doing her

earlier racing from the Alan Jones stable at Cambridge.

Corday, a winner at her last two starts from John Mudgway’s North Island stable, continued to make a good impression when she galloped with Beks yesterday. They finished their work strongly by recording 48.7 for the 800 m. Ruff and Meadow Maid followed in 50.8, the last 600 m in 36.2. Ruff should be a successful three-year-old campaigner for her trainer Peter Jones, who ended the season by saddling two winners at the Christchurch Hunt meeting.

Able Tim was better than Fine Fare over 800 m in 49.5, and Frontiersman was clear of Toiler to record 48.7. The Nelson-trained Clifton Mink came up with 50.5, but Dreamville was restricted to 54.9, and 40.2 for the final 600 m.